This invention relates to a camera and, more particularly, to a structure for guiding a flexible means through which a control signal is supplied to a shutter unit in a camera of the lens-shutter type equipped with a zoom lens system.
The assignee of this application has developed a camera of the lens-shutter type equipped with a zoom lens system, and has filed Japanese Patent Application No. SHO 61-108278, Japanese Utility Model Application No. SHO 61-132669 and so on relating to the camera. The subject matter of these applications have already been reduced commercial to products. In the camera, at least two forward and rearward zoom lens systems are adapted to be moved along an optical axis independently of each other, to effect zooming. An annular shutter unit is arranged about an outer periphery of the forward lens systems. Since the forward lens system functions as a focusing lens system, the forward lens system is also driven by a lens drive device that is incorporated into the shutter unit.
The conventional camera described above employs a a flexible printed circuit board in order to send a plurality of operational and control signals to the shutter unit from a distance measuring unit, and an exposure control unit which are arranged within a camera body.
If an amount of movement of the forward lens system is large, however, there arises the problem of slack of the flexible printed circuit board. In view of the problem, the assignee of this application has proposed a guide structure for the flexible print circuit board in Japanese Utility Model Application No. SHO 61-132659 (generally corresponding to U.S. application Ser. No. 144,030). The guide structure is so designed as to utilize an annular space between a cam follower ring for the forward lens system and a cam ring for driving the cam follower ring. The shutter unit is fixedly secured to the cam follower ring. Specifically, the above annular space is utilized in such a manner that the flexible print circuit board is led into the annular space, and is turned back within the annular space.
In a camera which has been developed by a assignee of this application in an attempt to make the compact camera, however, the aforesaid annular space is eliminated so that the cam follower ring is supported directly by the inner peripheral surface of the cam ring. Thus, it is no longer possible to utilize the conventional guide structure for the flexible print circuit board.